"Going to help me in?" he called.

"I don't know," Dave answered dubiously.

"If we can find Ella Wright there may not be room. With such a sea
running, this boat won't hold many."

"No matter about me, then," muttered Tom. "If Ella isn't found right away
I don't believe I care about going back to Gridley."

Dave's response was swiftly to knot a noose and let it down over Tom's
shoulders. The other end of the line he made fast astern. Dalzell, in the
meantime, had swum back again. Susie Danes lay as still as death in the
bottom of the boat.

As Dalzell got back where he had first reached Foss and Susie, he espied
the head of Ab Canty some distance away.

"Ab!" called Dan.

"Here!"

"What has become of Ella?"

"Oh, I wish I knew!"

"Was she afloat at all!" demanded Dan, swimming nearer.

"Yes; I kept her up for a couple of minutes, maybe. Then she got more
scared, wound her arms tight around me, and we both sank. We had a